The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-05-18
GRITTY HATTIE BENTON.
Adventure of an Arkansas Girl With an
Outlaw Chief.
New York Special

any man living. Soon after the war,
while everything was yet in confusion in
the South, and especially in the Southwest,
Benton moved from Missouri to Arkansas,
point midway between Pine Bluffs and
Arkansas post. The country was then full
of outlaws of all sorts, and robbery, assassl-
nation and murder were rife in the lonely
sections. Benton lived on the bank of
the river and furnished wood to steam
boats. Hattie was his only child, and had
been accustomed to the wild life OF the
West since babyhood. The mother was an
invalid, who could scarcely leave the house
to wait upon herself. The father was man
of fiery temper, and people soon learned
that to attempt any love-making with the
girl would be pretty certain to end in
somebody's death. The three or four gal
lants who came signing about were made
to walk the plank, and in time it came to
be known along the river that the old man
Benton looked upon his daughter as too
good match for anyone in those parts.
Then it was that outlaw Jack Cummerford
sent the old man a message that he was
coming TO make Hattie his wife.
The fellow was proprietor of a float
ing whisky shanty, and had two
or three hard cases constantly with
him. While there was no question that
this crew were guilty of stealing and rob-
complain and have the outlaw arrested.
Cummerford heard of the girl long before
be saw her, and the first Benton heard OF
the OUTLAW was py way of a message in
which Cummertord told him that he would
be on hand in about ten days TO look the
girl over, and If she suited him he would
take her away. The father boiled over at
the impudence of the message, and he ar
ranged to kill the outlaw on sight. Had it
CT hnr hn n
meIford would have been welcomed with
bullet; but the messenger did not state that
part of it, and after being on his guard
several days the father began to relax his
vigilance and believe the message to be
nothing more than an idle boast. One morn
ing he went down to his woodpile to find
shanty-boat moored at the bank, and
rough. looking fellow Just coming ashore.
Jack Cummerford and his gang had ar
his word good. Benton was not armed.
The outlaw had a rifle in his hand. Sus-
pecting some evil, the pioneer started to
retreat, but was shot in the back before he
had gone thirty feet and he was dead al
most as soon as the outlaw reached him.
The three men then proceeded to the house
together. The mother and daughter were
preparing breakfast and we're ordered to
make provisions for their visitors. They
had heard the rife shot, but before they
could voice their suspicious of what had
happened the leader of the gang brutality
said:
"Come, now, hurry up. I've come to
take the gal away, and as thought the old
man might object / Just laid him out on
the start. No sniveling now, but git
breakfast ready and then prepare to go
with me-"
The mother was so overcome that she
dropped into chair and began moaning
and weeping. 1t was a terrible shock to
the girl, but she realized from the first
moment that if she was to be saved from
the fate planned for her she must save her
self. She, therefore, went ahead with the
preparations for the meal, and about the
time the men were told to sit down to the
table the mother hobbled out and sat down
beside the dead body of the husband, so
dazed and Mortified that she could not
shed tear. After the first shock the girl
began to plan against the gang and every
move made by the men was narrowly
watched. AS the place was isolated they
had no fear of being disturbed and took
matters very lsisurely. They talked of
the shooting oil Benton as cOolly as II they
had only fired upon a dog, and as they
drew up to the table Cummerford observed:
fought to have hit him about two inches
lower, but it wasn't so bad for snap shot.
Kinder sorry for the old woman, but she'll
feel better after we fling the body into the
river. Say, gal, how dye like me, anyway
You orter be proud of such a man as Jack
CummerfOrd."
"Come Jack, be bit easy on her until
we git ahoat," remarked one of the others.
'Oh, sartini' chuckled the outlaw.
"She's kinder 'fraid of me now, but she'll
soon be proud of her husband. Rather
pooty gal, Hattie is. Sorry didn't come
last week, but nay motto Is to attend to
bizness fust. Say, gal, don't be afeard to
laugh if you feel like it."
Cummerford had brought his rife or
carbine to the house while the others had
left their firearms aboard the boat. The
carbine leaned against the wall in the rear
of the men, and just as they got fairly to
eating the girl examined it sufficiently to
note that the chamber contained four or
five bullets. No sooner was she certain of
this than she snatched it up and sprang
out OF doors, and as she ran for her moth
er, who was in the direct line of the boat,
she called to her to leave the body and
hasten aboard the craft. Dazed as she was
the mother did not hesitate second about
complying, and she was aboard before any
of the outlaws came out. When they did
appear it was to find the girl with the car
bine at an aim, covering the mothers re-
treat, and walking slowly backward herself.
The rufians were all upset for the mo-
ment. Then Cummerford spraug into
the cabin after the dead mans rifle and
when he reappeared he brought it to his
face and commanded the girl, who was by
that time on board the shanty and trying
to cast of the line, TO come ashore. She
paid him not the least attention, and he
coolly fired at her head. The bullet drew
blood from the edge of her right ear, and
in retaliation she picked up the carbine
and fred an off-hand shot which killed the
man who stood on the right of Gunner
ford. The recoil of the heavy piece
knocked her down, but before they could
rush upon her the mother seized an axe
and cut the line and the boat foated away
in the current.
Cummerford ran back into the cabin after
ammunition, but before he found it the
boat was half mile below the house, and
when he opened fire the women sheltered
themselves in the cabin. As fast as he
could load and fire he fired upon the boat,
hoping that stray shot might wound or
kill. The girl made no reply until the cur
rent carried the float into tree top on the
opposit side OF the stream. Then, when
the outlaws began to prepare to swim or
float of to it she opened fire from the
shore in four loaded revolvers hanging in
the boats cabin and did such good shoot
ing as to force them to abandon the at
tempt. Had it been coming on dark the
two men would doubtless have found
means to recover the boat and recapture
the women. but the craft had not been de-
tanned more than an hour in the tree top
when Government survey party came